Electric-sign system.



M. E LAUNBRANCH.

ELECTRIC SIGN SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1916 1,235,818.Patented Aug. 7,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l. I

M. E. LAUNBRANCH. ELECTRIC SIGN SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, I916.

' Patented Aug 7, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M. E. LAUNBRANCH. ELECTRIC SIGN SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, I916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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...i Milli sign.

siren srarns r1 "t a ELECTRIC-SIGN SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 22, 1916. Serial No. 73,593.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALCOLM E. LAUN- BRANCH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re

siding at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Elec triotiign Systems,of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanydrawings, forming a part of thisspecifi- My invention concerns itself with thecontrolling mechanism tocontrol the selection of the lampsso that a predetermined word orsentence may be displayed upon the sign. My invention concerns itselfalso with the mechanism for causing a rapid change in the legenddisplayed upon the In the specification herein and in the claims I usethe Word lamp to signify some individual device capable of performingthe functions herein.

Certaincontrol features of my invention herein are a simplification ofthe templet control broadly set forth in my co-pending applicationSerial No. 73,594, filed J an. 22, 191%.

Each unit of the sign has preferably fifty-three lamps which I havefound are sufficient to portray at least forty letters or characters,and that meets the ordinary requirem'ents.

I will explain one form of control apparatus for controlling a sign ofthe above class more in detail by referring to the ac-. companyingdrawings, in Which-'- Figure 1 is aside view of a control appa ratusconstructed in accordance with my invention, portions being loronen awayand omitted more: clearly to, reveal features of- :ons'truction Fig. '2isa fragmentary top view of-the relay control apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view thereo' Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sideview of ti structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional illustrating the contacting elements;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrat ing the temple-t style ofcontrol;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of an automatic circuit controllingelement;

Fig. 8 is a more or less diagrammatic View illustrating the circuitconnections to the lamps;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the framework construction;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of a tens. plet;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the spring pressedplunger struc ture, and

Fig. 12 is an elevation of the electromagnetic device shown in Fig. 6.

Referring more particularly to 1 and 1, I show a base plate 1 whichcarries a stationary fran'leworlr 2, which stationz y framework has thelegs 3 and end stirs 4, top strips 5, and bottom strips 6. l

These strips 5 and 6 in each case include a channel and a bar. Thisstationary framework car-- ries a plurality of channel members 7 at thetop and the bottom into which suitable self-contained unit structures 8may be slid and held in place. These. unit structures 8 are shown mostclearlyin'Figs. 1 and and consists of bottom strips 9, side strips 10and 11, top strip 12, and cross pieces 13 and 14. A further cross piece15 is also provided. Legs 9 projecting from angle pieces '9 slide in thechannels 7 and the upper extremities of the end rods 10 and 11 slide inthe channels 16. Thus each selfcontained structure 8 may be removed. asis desired. The structure 8 carries a plurality of metallic bars 17,there being preferably fifty-three, so that one bar is connected to oneof the lamr-s in a given unit of the sign, each stru are :3corresponding to one unlt of the compieted sign. These contact rods 17are stationarilyand insulatingly mounted in the framework -8 andcooperate with contacts 18 as more clearly. shown in Fig. 5.slidablerods 19, which slidable rods are islidaloly mounted in theframework 8. Each These contacts 18 are carried by sliding rod 19 hasits contacts 18 arranged in different positions and each sliding rodcorresponds to a given letter or character.

Thus one selecting rod 19may correspond to the letter a, the next one tothe letter framework to be presently described is then employed to moveone of the rods 19 into its contact making position to establish acertain letter or character in that particular unit of the sign to whichit corresponds.

' This sliding framework is rectangular in form, having the rectangularsection consisting of the strips 20, 21, 22 and .23 on both extremitiesand having the connecting strips '24 and 25 on both sides as readilyapparent. This framework has guide members 26, 26 so that it may slideupon rails .27, 27. An eccentric 28 operates the eccentric rod 29 toslide this movable framework and the arrangement is such that for eachoperation the eccentric 28 makes one complete revolution of 360 degrees.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the movement of the slidingframework first consists of a slight movement toward the left, then amovement toward the right beyond its starting position, and then back aslight distance to the left to its normal position as shown in Fig. 1.As before .stated, a contact rod 19 must be displaced out of itsposition in order to establish a letter, and the first movement of theframework is calculated to restore any rod 19 which is so displaced. Themovement of the frame-.

work to the right then sets another rod 19 previously selected'into itscontact making position, and the return movement ofthe framework tonormal restores the setting mechanism tonormal without restoring the rodas the framework has not come back far enough to again restore this setrod. The rods extend as far as the uppermost rod 19 in Fig. 1 and thesliding framework has a plate 30 which restores the rods to normalposition, the upper rod 19 in Fig. 1 being shown in its normalnon-contact making position. If the said rod 19 were in its contactmaking position, its right hand extremitywould rest against the plate 30when the framework is in the normal position as shown in Fig. 1. Iutilize electromagnetic means to set the rods and these electromagneticmeans include the electromagnets 31 of which there are as many as thereare rods 19, these electromagnets being mounted upon the side strips 20These electromagnets have armatures 32 which are normally not in thepath of the rods 19. 'Immediately any electromagnet 31 is energized,vits armature is attracted into the path of the. rod 19 as will be moreclear from Fig. 3, whereupon a movement of the sliding framework to theright will cause the j corresponding rod 19 to be set into its circuitclosing posi-,.

tion. Then when the sliding framework comes back to normal position(where as yet it is not in position to restore the set rod 19) then thearmatures 32 are of course again all in their position shown in thefigures without projecting farther toward the right than the left hand.extremity of the unset rods 19. The set rod 19 however stays in itscircuit closing position until a further cycle of movement of thesliding frame- I work, at which-time the set rod 19 is first restoredand then possibly some other rod 19 corresponding to a differentcharacter or letter is set due to the previous selection of anotherelectroma net 31. There are of course as many electromagnets as thereare rods 19 so that there maybeforty electromagnets for each sign unitif it were de-;

sired to have that many characters available for each sign unit. I

Now in order to set the desired electromagnets 31 I utilize a platen 33which cooperates with a templet 34 and spring pressed plunger's 35. Eachcontact plunger- 35 extends to a magnet 31. The templet 34 is perforatedto correspond to the particular electromagnet 31 of each unit orstructure 8 that it is desired to operate. The circuit then extends(Fig. 6) from the electromagnet 31 by way of conductor 36, through thebattery 37, conductor 38, platen 33, pro

truding contact 35, conductor 39, to the electromagnet 31. It. will beseen from the illustration that only those electromagnets 31 areenergized for whicha hole has been punched in the templet 34., Theplaten 33 is preferably of magnetic'material so that it may be held inposition against an electromagnet 40 when it is in its circuit closingposition, this electromagnet having a coil supplied with currentlikewise from the battery 37. The circuit for'this electromagnet maythen extend from the battery I 37 by way of conductor 42, contactelements 43, and 44, conductor 45, magnet 40, conductor 46, contact 47contact 48, platen 33, conductor 38, to the battery 37. The object ofthus locking the platen in position is due to this. Assume that it isdesired to set up a certain legend upon the sign, then a 'gizedthroughout the setting operation of the corresponding rods 19. A crankoz) is shown to mdicate means Ior rotating the said shaft. As soon asthe setting operation [has been completed-and when the movableframework-is on its back stroke toward its normal position, contact isbroken between metals the contacts at and at so that the electro magnetsare in th ir unenergized condition and the platen pulled back to itsopen position by means of ravity against the cushion The means iy whichthis circuit be tween the elements 43 and 4A is broken consist of theyielding insulating linger 50 which is mounted upon the strip 23 of themovable framework, the contacts 48 and 4:4: being mounted upon any partof the stationary framework. The operation of this device will be clearfrom Fig. 7 when it is stated that the contact finger 50 moves over ontop of the contact is when the said. finger moves toward the right fromits initial position, therebynot disturbing the contact between thesetwo elements; when .the framework moves in the opposite direction thefinger 50 passes between the elements 43 and 5 .4: to momentarily breakthe circuit, the finger being shown in the illustration (Fig. 7) ashaving just passed between the elements 43 and at but not having as yetcompleted its entire movement to the left beyond the contact spring 44:.it will thus be understood that the movable framework makes one completecycle of movement whereby the insulating finger 50 (Fig. 7) normallystarts from a position slightly to the left of the spring 14. The firstmovement of the movable frame carries the finger 50. to the ri ht,riding over the spring ie until itreaches a position beyond the spring4%, whereupon the movable framework moves to the left carrying theinsulating finger 50 between the springs 44 and 43, thus breaking thecircuit of the magnet 40, whereupon the said fingermoves to the left asfar as the framework moves, and then moves back toward the rightslightly to its normal resting place, which as before stated slightly tothe left of (the spring 4A. As

will beclear of course the armatures 32 normally do not touch the bars19 when these bars are in their normal non-contact making position, itrequiring a positive movement toward the. right (Fig. 1) of the movableframework before the armatures 32 displace the rods 19..

From what has been described it is thought the nature of my inventionwill be trayuhlike characters, said means including a plurality ofcharacter elements, a movable framework, electromagnetic means carbyframework adapted when lection of saidelectromagnetic means, and

means movable with said framework for controlling said electromagneticmeans.

3. In a device of the character described the combination with aplurality of lamps adapted when selectively actuated to portray unlikecharacters, means for controlling the selection of desired lamps toportray unlike characters, said means including a plurality of slidablecharacters elements, a movable framework, and electromagnetm meanscarried by said framework adapted when actuated to control said.character elements, said electromagnetic means'including armaturesadapted to be thrust intothe path of said character elements, and atemplet for controlling the selection of said electromagnetic means.

4-. In a device of the character described the combination with aplurality of lamps adapted when selectively actuated to portray unlikecharacters, means for control ling the selection of desired lamps toportray unlike characters, said means including a plurality of slidablecharacter elements, a movable framework, and electromagnetic meanscarried by said framework adapted during movement of said framework tocontrol selected character elements corresponding to actuatedelectromagnetic means aforesaid, said electromagnetic means includingarmatures adapted to be thrust into the path of said character elements,a templet for "controlling the selection of said electromagnetic means,and means movable wlth said framework for controlling saidelectromagnetic means,

5.- In a device of the character described the combination with aplurality of lamps adaptedl'when selectively actuated to portray unlikecharacters, means for controlling the selection of desired lamps toportray unlike characters said means including a plurality of characterelements, a movable framework, and electromagnetic means carried by saidframework adapted when actuated to control said character elements,

a templet for controllingthe selection'of said "electromagnet c means, astationary framework relative to which said movable framework moves, anda third framework removably mounted in said stationary frameworkforcarrying said character elements.

G. In a device of the character described the combination with aplurality of lamps adapted when selectively actuated to portray unlikecharacters, means for controlling the selection of desired lamps toportray unlike characters, said means including a plurality of characterelements, a movable framework,

and electromagnetic means carried by saidframework adapted duringmovement of saidframework to control selected character elementscorresponding to actuated electromagnetic means aforesaid, a templet forcontrolling the selection of said electromagnetic means, means movablewith said framework for controlling said electromagnetic means, astationary framework relative to which said movable framework moves, anda third framework removably mounted in said stationary framework forcarrying said character elements. I

7. In a devlce of the character described the combination with aplurality of lamps adapted when selectively actuated to portray unlikecharacters, means for controlling the selection of desired lamps toportray unlike characters, said means including a plurality of slidablecharacter elements, a movable framework, and electromagnetic meanscarried by said framework adapted when actuated to control saidcharacter elements, said electromagnetic means including armaturesadapted to bethrust into the, path of said character elements, a templetfor controlling the selection of said electromagnetic means, astationary framework relative to which said movable framework moves, anda third framework removably mounted in said stationary framework forcarrying said char acter elements.

8.-In a device of the character described the combination with aplurality of'lamps adapted when selectively actuated to portray unlikecharacters, means for controlling the selection of desired lamps toportray unlike characters, said means-including a plurality of slidablecharacter elements, a movable framework, and electromagnetic meanscarried by said framework adapted during movement of said framework tocontrol selected character elements corresponding to actuatedelectromagnetic means aforesaid, said electromagnetic means lncludmgarmatures adapted to be thrust into the path of said character elements,a templet for con trolling the selection of said electromagnetic means,means movable-with said framework for controlling said electromagneticmeans,

a stationary framework relative to which said movable framework moves,and a third framework: removably mounted in said sta-.

tionary framework for carrying said character elements. 9. In a deviceof the character described the combination with a plurality, of lampsadapted when selectively actuated-to portray unlike characters, meansforcontrolling the selection of desired lampsto portray unlike characters,.,said means including a plurality of character elements,"amovable-framework,

and electromagnetic.means'carried by said framework adapted 'duringmovement of said framework to control selected character elementscorresponding to actuated electromagnetic means aforesaid.

In witness whereof,,I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day ofJanuary, A. D.,

MALCOLM E. LAUNBRANCH. Witnesses:

O. M. VVERNIGH, HAZEL A. JoNEs.

targa'ies or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

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